


Different Versions of Us

by sootnose



Series: The Wheel of Fortune, Upright [3]
Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gender-Neutral Apprentice (The Arcana), Julian Devorak Route - Reversed Ending, Lucio (The Arcana) Route, Other, Route Crossover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:35:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27658924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sootnose/pseuds/sootnose
Summary: Time and place mean little after the borders between the realms were broken down. Alternate timelines? Pssshhttt, dump it all in the same pile. This could getweird.
Relationships: Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana)
Series: The Wheel of Fortune, Upright [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994614
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Different Versions of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, decided that I better make this a separate fic. We'll see if I actually run with this, though.

Somewhere, somewhen in the post-apocalyptic chaosscape, you realize you no longer know your age.

The shock passes as soon as it came. You count experiences, not time. You found a leather-bound book a hundred pages ago, and in it, you have jotted down what you've experienced.

The early pages are covered in disjointed scribbles of all the most important things you still remember.

The only thought that's never slipped your memory is Julian.

***

You're starting to think you might have gotten lost.

A while ago, your dog-headed guide spotted the door of your shop. You tried to reach it, but a strong current veered you off course.

It's like the Labyrinth all again. There's no night and day, so all you have to track time is when you need rest. On top of that, you feel disgusting. You try to air out your clothes when you stop. You found a pot spinning in mid-air and now carry it with you for washing your undergarments and hose once in a while. You may not get hungry or tired the way you did before, but you still get dirty. When you stop, you and Lucio try to keep Mercedes' and Melchior's furs from getting too dirty and tangled.

You pick your way through a rocky, all but monochrome landscape. Lucio pokes your cheek with a feather he's picked off the ground.

"Wonder how Camio is doing", he muses, twirling the large black feather between his fingers.

You hum in acknowledgment.

The guide glances around. They look up, and you follow their gaze to a massive black bird in the sky.

"You figure the feather's from that?" you ask.

Lucio twirls the quill between his fingers. "Probably."

The guide's milky eyes follow the bird as it circles back in the direction you had been heading. It descends far ahead, and you realize it's much, much larger than you'd thought.

For the first time, the guide seems to flounder. They circle around you, then turn and walk in the other direction and, finally, sit on the ground.

"... Are we taking a break?" you venture.

The guide nods.

Lucio flops down against a reasonably comfortable-seeming rock. You pull your former sleeve, now a loop for carrying the pot, over your head and sit next to Lucio with a groan.

"I hate these shoes _so much_ ", you groan and kick the flats off. You groan again and scramble to your feet, moving further away to scrape some pebble-littered earth into the pot. You lift the soil in your hands and encourage it to be liquid. First, the water is a sandy grey-brown, but it clears up as you nudge it further with your magic.

You pull your hose off and dunk them, using the wet hose to scrub your feet. You drop the hose back in the pot, dry your feet on your robe, roll your remaining sleeves and proceed to wash the Devil out of the hose. Ha. Ha. You wring them out and spread them to dry on a rock before scooting over to Lucio. You shove a daintily pointed foot in front of him.

"May I inconvenience you for some foot rubs?" you ask. "I'm _dying_."

"Oh, we can't have that", Lucio responds and holds your foot in his hands, starting to knead your toes and the soles of your feet.

You scooch closer and flick some pebbles off the ground behind you so you can lie down. "Thank you", you sigh.

Lucio glances at your guide. "What do you think the deal was with that bird? It's not dangerous, is it?!"

You close your eyes and cross your hands behind your head. "I don't think so. Our friendly guide doesn't seem worried, exactly. And... I didn't get a bad feeling from it." You open one of your eyes a sliver, looking at Lucio. "Actually, it felt somehow familiar", you add with a frown.

***

Your head snaps up at Julian's unsteady landing.

"I saw something weird", he says without preamble. "Maybe I've just finally lost it", he continues with a self-deprecating smirk, "but I could've sworn I saw you, Scout and..."

He falls silent and starts pacing. "If it was just him it could make sense, but another you? Another Scout? That _doesn't_ make any sense."

"Um."

"No, I know, nothing makes sense here."

"Another me."

"Yes. You, in masquerade clothes."

"And another Scout."

"Yes." He cranes his neck to peer over the rocks in the direction he flew from. "They were headed this way."

You and Julian turn to Scout in unison.

The being looks between you and tilts their head. "Arowwr?"

"What, 'what'. What do you think?"

Scout looks at Julian, looks in the direction Julian saw this mystery group, then shrugs. "Rowrowr?"

You frown and stroke your chin in thought. "I... kind of want to investigate. But, Ilya, you said there was someone else?"

"Lucio."

A dramatic pause, long enough for you to rack your brain and your eyes to widen in realisation.

"I wouldn't have guessed, black isn't his _style_ , but they have his dogs, too", Julian continues.

"The Count?" you ask, then frown. "I... we let him go, didn't we?" You look up at Julian, searching his face for confirmation.

"I think so", he says grimly.

"But... No, we better see what's what", you say, stand up and dust off your knees.

"It could be one of the Devil's tricks", Julian murmurs, like saying it too loud might make it true.

Your eyes flash. "Then we'll find out."


End file.
